


The source of knowledge

by Splintered_Star



Series: octopath characters [2]
Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Literacy, mild classism, non graphic animal harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 08:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20171131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Splintered_Star/pseuds/Splintered_Star
Summary: Cyrus makes certain assumptions about H'aanit.





	The source of knowledge

At first, Cyrus barely seems to register them as individuals. H’aanit does not take it personally – he is a seeker on a hunt, and while such focus would be dangerous in the wood, perhaps in this tame world of books and stone it is not.

Then they agree to travel together for as long as their paths intertwine. It is a good plan. He has skills that H’aanit and Ophilia do not, and they him. And yet.

Perhaps he sees her hard wearing clothing, chosen for durability and camouflage rather than fashion. Her scars and callouses, old and thick from notching her crossbow. Perhaps he notices the way she squints up at the road sign, taking her time to understand the writing.

She /can/ read human writing. It is necessary for road signs and letters; but it is rarely necessary for anything else, and so she rarely practices. It is a specialized skill, like hunting or blacksmithing, and in her home few people bother learning.

But when she turns away from the road sign to discuss their next path, the way he looks at her is different.

Her skills and value remain, and that is true no matter what people think. And Cyrus is, at least, politer about it than some travelers who treat any local with different skills like vermin.

Still, it stings, a little, when Cyrus engages Ophilia in conversation about the church as if H’aanit is not there or comments on creatures as if H’aanit has nothing to contribute.

She is not angry or hurt. She is… irritated.

It would be less of an issue, she thinks, if his vaunted observational skills extended to his surroundings, but –

H’aanit stills on the trail. Ophilia knows enough by now to mimic her, but Cyrus doesn’t notice and keeps walking, so H’aanit grabs him by the back of his collar before he can go any further.

He gets out a strangled “ma’am?” but brings his foot back instead of down.

She ignores him and steps forward slowly, gently, her hand on her ax handle. She is prepared when the snake bursts out of the bushes and buries her ax in its skull. A quick shake of her wrist and the corpse is free of her ax. She mutters a quick word of respect and honor, tosses the corpse to the side, and eyes the surroundings to make sure nothing else is in waiting.

When she looks up, the way Cyrus looks at her once again has shifted.

“My goodness H’aanit, I would have stepped right in the path of that! Thank you.” She nods, cleaning blood off of her ax. “If I may ask, how did you..?

H’aanit raises her eyebrows and then nods. She points to the ground around her.

“Feathers, too many to have been shed naturally. Disturbance and claw marks – a struggle. But no blood aside from just now. So it had tried to make kills but hadn’t succeeded, and was hungry enough to do something reckless… like attack a human.”

Cyrus nods, looking over the ground, one hand on his chin.

“I see…” He brightens. “I’m not sure I would have noticed that! Very impressive.”

“Not all knowledge is in books.”

Perhaps it is too pointed. Cyrus blinks at her.

Then he laughs. He’s smiling at her.

“I look forward to learning it all.”

She smiles back at him, and gestures the group forward.

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently this is a series now. An unedited, messy series.
> 
> I still am like ten percent into the game.


End file.
